The Dax trade, again

Posted 08 January 2018 - 10:01 PM

Borats

Reserve Team

Members

210 posts

Supports:NY/NJ Metrostars

Did you watch Dax play in 2016? He was poor to start the season and then missed a large chunk due to injury. With guys like Davis and Adams ready in the waiting, moving on from Dax was not the catastrophe youd like to think it was.

As for Taxi, he desperately wants to go to Europe. If you know anything about him at all, you would know its not just for himself, but for all Jamaican players. He feels they are underappreciated in pro soccer and he thinks that him getting a bigger check on a bigger stage will help their cause. If $2Mil is the best deal we can get for him, why hold him back?

Yes, I watched Dax play, and he showed 0 sign of decline, and came back strong from 1 month injury. He was still one of the top at his position. Not sure about catastrophe, but giving away a top 5 player at a position, all star, USMNT guy at the age of 29 at the time of trade and not getting young talent back (actually not getting ANY talent back) is an idiotic mistake.

To answer you question on Taxi though, many players want to play in Europe. Finish your contract and go play there. Or if they want him so much, maybe there is a player on their team that we want too, let's make a trade. But to give away for 2 mil, it just seems like a such a waste. We are already weak at defensive wing. Lost Duvall last year for nothing. Murillo seemed to have played OK towards the end of last year, but jury is still out, and he is our best guy at the position. Losing Taxi will hurt and will hurt very badly. 2 mil is not enough to endure this pain.

Posted 08 January 2018 - 10:46 PM

McSoccer

Player/Manager

Members

3,244 posts

Location:NJ

Supports:New York Red Bulls, Arsenal

Yes, I watched Dax play, and he showed 0 sign of decline, and came back strong from 1 month injury. He was still one of the top at his position. Not sure about catastrophe, but giving away a top 5 player at a position, all star, USMNT guy at the age of 29 at the time of trade and not getting young talent back (actually not getting ANY talent back) is an idiotic mistake.

To answer you question on Taxi though, many players want to play in Europe. Finish your contract and go play there. Or if they want him so much, maybe there is a player on their team that we want too, let's make a trade. But to give away for 2 mil, it just seems like a such a waste. We are already weak at defensive wing. Lost Duvall last year for nothing. Murillo seemed to have played OK towards the end of last year, but jury is still out, and he is our best guy at the position. Losing Taxi will hurt and will hurt very badly. 2 mil is not enough to endure this pain.

Dax showed signs of decline in 2016 (poor start, injury). Given that, and his age (30 at the time of the trade), and the trade is understandable. If you dont think he started poorly and/or dont think the injury had anything to do with his age, than I dont know what to tell you. And, you can say we got too little back, but that was the best offer. No one else in MLS was rating Dax enough to offer more.

Liverpool, which is a MASSIVE club compared to any MLS side, just sold Coutunho, a player they wanted to keep, because he wanted the move. Arsenal may sell Sanchez to Man City because Sanchez wants the move. Granted, those two are going for way more than $2Mil, but the point is, clubs sell players they dont wont too all the time because their hand is forced by the player. Even giant mega clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal.

Im sure Red Bull would love to get more for Taxi, but if hes set on going to Europe and thats the best deal, it is what it is.

Posted 08 January 2018 - 11:12 PM

Borats

Reserve Team

Members

210 posts

Supports:NY/NJ Metrostars

Dax showed signs of decline in 2016 (poor start, injury). Given that, and his age (30 at the time of the trade), and the trade is understandable. If you dont think he started poorly and/or dont think the injury had anything to do with his age, than I dont know what to tell you. And, you can say we got too little back, but that was the best offer. No one else in MLS was rating Dax enough to offer more.

Liverpool, which is a MASSIVE club compared to any MLS side, just sold Coutunho, a player they wanted to keep, because he wanted the move. Arsenal may sell Sanchez to Man City because Sanchez wants the move. Granted, those two are going for way more than $2Mil, but the point is, clubs sell players they dont wont too all the time because their hand is forced by the player. Even giant mega clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal.

Im sure Red Bull would love to get more for Taxi, but if hes set on going to Europe and thats the best deal, it is what it is.

Dax was 29 at the time of the trade. He turned 30 soon after, but let's not alter the facts with something that fits your narrative. The whole team had a poor start, and injury he had is not a sign of decline. He looked as strong as ever when he returned and made all star team and USMNT roster the following year. That proves there was in fact no decline. We gave away an all star player, and that hurt the team last year.

I do agree clubs sell players, but they use the money they get to replace them. I don't think 2 mil is a lot of money to replace someone like Lawrence, and we are extremely weak at his position. I get it he wants to go to Europe, but the deal has to make sense for us too. And much like Dax's trade, it doesn't make sense for us.

Posted 09 January 2018 - 09:08 AM

defendyourself

First Team

Members

790 posts

Supports:RBNY

Dax was 29 at the time of the trade. He turned 30 soon after, but let's not alter the facts with something that fits your narrative. The whole team had a poor start, and injury he had is not a sign of decline. He looked as strong as ever when he returned and made all star team and USMNT roster the following year. That proves there was in fact no decline. We gave away an all star player, and that hurt the team last year.

You are lying to yourself if you don't think Dax looked "off" in 2016. Player's decline at different times so you generally just have to go off their form and make your best judgment. I didn't want them to trade Dax, would rather have traded Felipe, but just because you don't agree with a move doesn't mean its not justifiable.

When Sean Davis filled in for Dax that year, it was like nothing happened to the squad. When things like that occur in sports someone gets traded, its how things work. I am really happy Dax had a great year last season, but I am way happy that we created a platform for Tyler Adams and Sean Davis to improve last season. Jesse had to manipulate our formation just to find a place for Sean to be on the field, if Dax was here Sean and one of Felipe/Dax/Tyler would have been benched.

As a side note: its almost getting to the point where all the Dax trade mentions need to move to the Beating a Dead Horse Forum.

Posted 09 January 2018 - 09:33 AM

Komba

Dir. of Football Operations

Members

5,766 posts

Dax was 29 at the time of the trade. He turned 30 soon after, but let's not alter the facts with something that fits your narrative. The whole team had a poor start, and injury he had is not a sign of decline. He looked as strong as ever when he returned and made all star team and USMNT roster the following year. That proves there was in fact no decline. We gave away an all star player, and that hurt the team last year.

I do agree clubs sell players, but they use the money they get to replace them. I don't think 2 mil is a lot of money to replace someone like Lawrence, and we are extremely weak at his position. I get it he wants to go to Europe, but the deal has to make sense for us too. And much like Dax's trade, it doesn't make sense for us.

Dax was 30 for almost the entire season after the trade and that's all that really matters.

And again, don't know else to say other than it's bad business to keep a player who doesn't want to be here. Taxi is a good player but the negatives to keeping him would outweigh the positives.

Posted 12 January 2018 - 11:51 AM

Dax was 30 for almost the entire season after the trade and that's all that really matters.

And again, don't know else to say other than it's bad business to keep a player who doesn't want to be here. Taxi is a good player but the negatives to keeping him would outweigh the positives.

Yes, he turned 30 a few months after he was traded at 29 and had an all star season. Still 30 now. We got nothing but a downgrade at the defensive mid position with Davis starting and weaker bench with Davis not on it, while Chicago gained a top 3 player on their roster. It's not hard to see how we've been had in the most obvious and violent way in this trade.

"Lawrence expressed hope that a move can be done by the end of December. However, he expressed plenty of support for the Red Bulls in the event he stays and even expressed a confidence in being able to captain the team"

Sounds like while leaving is definitely a good option (that was France though, not Turkey, which is way worse), he was OK staying and even being a captain. Maybe he just wants good money, and perhaps Red Bulls should oblige.